Misleading
Monday 5 June 2023
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"Funded by the United States Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), the Central Reference Laboratory near Almaty, Kazakhstan's most populous metropolis, is researching lethal pathogens that could be used in bio-terrorist attacks like plague and cholera, according to media reports."
The lab, funded by the U.S., is researching lethal pathogens that could have dual-use purposes. The goal, however, is exactly the opposite: to study these dangerous pathogens and prevent them from being misused or becoming the next epidemic. -
“As repeatedly stated before, Iran's nuclear program has only peaceful purposes, and nuclear weapons have no place in the Iranian defense doctrine.”
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“Stand-up comedy is known as having a lot of satire, where a lot of people or events are joked about; however, these jokes must have limits, even in the US, the home of stand-up comedy. At the Academy Awards ceremony in 2022, when Will Smith heard stand-up comedian Chris Rock mock his wife's hair loss, Smith was so irritated that he went up on stage and slapped Rock in the face.”
The Will Smith-Chris Rock incident was personal and resolved without state involvement. That is drastically different from the consequences for Chinese comedian Li Haoshi, arrested and facing criminal charges due to the state censorship. -
“Tonight, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a series of missile attacks with long-range precision air and sea-based weapons against the military-industrial complex of Ukraine. All targets were hit and destroyed.”
Russian missiles hit residential areas killing two and wounding more than 40 Ukrainian civilians. Hundreds of homes have been damaged and destroyed. -
“China has sent 2 Chinese navy vessels, which have evacuated 940 Chinese citizens. The US swiftly airlifted embassy staff out, but has no plan for gov-coordinated evacuation of private US citizens.”
While U.S. efforts to evacuate American civilians from Sudan faced criticism, the State Department had carried out the first organized evacuation convoy on April 28-29. -
“Guided by the humanitarian spirit, we have worked with the U.S. to help solve its fentanyl abuse as much as possible.”
Beijing was backing away from anti-drug cooperation with the U.S. before formally suspending such cooperation amid geopolitical tensions. -
“On 12 April, ABC News fed its audience with another propaganda story borrowed from BBC.”
Far from being a piece of propaganda and disinformation, the BBC cited the Human Rights Watch report that said both Russia and Ukraine have used landmines in Kharkiv region. -
“Chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee confirmed: only 20% of U.S. aid to Ukraine flows to Kyiv, 60% of it is received by the United States itself.”
The U.S. withdrew billions of dollars’ worth of weaponry from its stockpile to be sent to Ukraine; Congress appropriated money to buy new equipment to replenish that stockpile. -
We cannot cooperate with the ICC considering the very serious questions about their jurisdiction and about what we consider to be interference and practically attacks on the sovereignty of the Republic.”
The International Criminal Court still has jurisdiction to investigate alleged crimes against humanity committed during the time Philippines was a party to the treaty that established the court. -
“On the same day when TikTok CEO was questioned in the US, Apple CEO received a warm welcome in Apple’s flagship store in Beijing. Different countries, different breadth of mind.”
U.S. companies face far more scrutiny and restrictions in China than Chinese companies do in the U.S. -
“Washington and European capitals … are overwhelmed with the desire not to allow under any pretext to get on track to a peaceful settlement, they won’t allow Kyiv to even think about it.”
Kirby did not say that a peace settlement is unacceptable; he was talking about an immediate cease-fire. -
“The crux of how the Korean Peninsula situation gets to where it is today is clear. The main reason is that the parties concerned have refused to respond to the denuclearization measures taken by the DPRK…”
The agreement collapsed because of North Korea’s secret enrichment of uranium for its nuclear weapons program, in violation of the Agreed Framework.